The Assistant
by Ombrel
Summary: Based between Hannibal Rising and Red Dragon, Elizabeth is interning and assisting the infamous and young Dr. Lecter by his request. But it is not entirely to complete her Doctors in Public Health.
1. Chapter 1

**Good evening Readers**. While this is categorized under books of Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal - this story takes place between Hannibal Rising and Red Dragon. Hopefully my request to adding Hannibal Rising or Hannibal Lecter Series happens so for now, this is where this story is categorized. _**Notice:**_ Light profanity, blood, and mention of abuse/alcohol. Will do my best to keep all minimum and tasteful.

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Elizabeth was unsure why she would not report Jacob. Everyone else was telling her to report him to the campus security but she just could not do it. Too much was at stake between him affecting her success in obtaining her doctors in Public Health. While he was a child with the silver spoon in his mouth, she struggled keeping up with her debts by working overtime.

Sitting in the Mental Health ward, Nurse Rose crudely over Elizabeth's re-fractured nose and double black eyes. A little twitch could be see over Nurse Rose squinting eyes but Elizabeth ignored the woman while stuffing her nose with a fresh tissue.

"Lizzy, you're attending a Medical University… go to the ER… we can't throw this under the rug anymore," Rose stated as she examined Lizzy's swollen eyes tracking the light. Time… the mention of time made Lizzy look to the clicking clock on the wall behind Rose.

"Shit, I'm late."

Before Rose could stop Elizabeth with a firm hand, the small framed woman bolted out of the ward to the stairs as trails of bloody and clean tissues fell from her pockets.

"Damn it Lizzy! I'm calling Professor Tolpher to drag your ass back!" Rose screamed down the bare hall echoing Elizabeth's clicking kitten heels.

Turning to kick the door to the stairs open, Elizabeth yelled in return, "Wait for at least two hours Rose! Really want to get info from the guest speaker!"

The guest speaker in her Mental Health class was the infamous Dr. Lecter. Only a two years older than Elizabeth, she had only learned of him through his studies and doctoral notes. This was the first and probably only time she was going to be in the same room and she was not going to miss it.

Running across the quad and into the educational building, Elizabeth slowed her pace as she reached the hallway that held the packed lecture hall. Sliding her heels off to not pull more attention to her, the girl calmed her breathing as she tried to open the doors to the back of the room.

_Locked. Awesome._

Damning herself for being 10 minutes late, the girl in black slacks and long sleeve pulled her white lab coat over her shoulders while keeping her heels and notebook within her arm. Knowing the only door now open was the front right door of the hall, Elizabeth calmed her heart as she walked slowly to the looming door. Taking a deep breath, she slowly peeked in. Light had flooded the front row students causing them to squint to the sudden change in light. Muttering a few baby swear words, Elizabeth slide in and slowly closed the door behind her, not letting the latch click.

Closing her eyes to adjust her eyes, the girl opened to see her Professor staring at her from across the large room of students. While the well rounded man in glasses appeared irritated, he always looked that way. Wanting to clear her throat from running across campus, Elizabeth watched her professor turn and look to an empty seat.

_Great. The last seat, hundredth row, hundredth seat. Awesome._

With every seat taken on every row, she had no choice but to cut through the front.

Not even ready to embarrass herself even more as the guest speaker continued his presentation in a rich accent, Elizabeth was grateful for her small stature. Hunched as she crossed the front of the classroom, not once did she passed the horizon of the speaker podium or display tables. While there was one victory, the victory was short lived as she saw her professor at the foot of the stairs blocking her from salvation.

"I'm sorry Professor, I had…" Elizabeth started to whisper but the Professor shook his head for silence as his finally caught the black eyes and line of blood close to falling off her upper lip. Pulling a clean white handkerchief from his breast pocket, the man held it out. As the small drop broke from her lip and onto her crossed arm, she took the handkerchief hastily to cover her mouth and nose again.

"Stay after the lecture Miss Kerr," the man requested before stepping out of her way to answer the muffled phone ringing from his office.

_Great. I'm screwed. And there's Rose calling to get my ass back and into ER._

Reaching the last available seat, the girl forgot about Rose, writing her notes, or even putting her shoes on when she looked to the infamous, Dr Hannibal Lecter. The man was the definition of suave; hair gelled back, words chosen well before spoken. She watched his eyes glitter from the idle light flickering from the projector; as much as she wanted to call them hazel, there was a deep color of red within the low and high lights of his eyes. Almost maroon, like blood on the moon. While she eyes the man talking about the brain, a note was soon at her elbow.

_I got the notes. Just listen. –M_

Thank the gods for Melissa, her next door neighbor. She was not necessarily her neighbor but lived in the same house. It was a four bedroom townhouse that had walls knocked out. Two rooms in the basement, two on second floor, with ground floor as common areas. With Elizabeth alone on the basement floor, issues between her and Jacob was easily mistaken or not heard but Melissa knew. She was working on getting it through Elizabeths head that what he was doing, was not okay.

The lecture had taken over an hour, but as the final words from the doctor came to a close and a few questions were tossed in his direction, the flood gates opened as students filtered out of the room as others shook hands with Dr. Lecter. After 10 minutes of idle conversations with the young man, Elizabeth was finally alone in the room with just the Doctor and her Professor. With her head held by her fingers over her mouth and under her chin, the white handkerchief was almost red by the time she finally came to realization she was the only student left.

Slowly standing as she slid her feet into her beige heels, the girl wavered as she stood. Gripping the railing as she held onto her notebook and clutched the red piece of fabric in her fingers, Elizabeth felt ill as she came closer to the front of lecture hall. While she could hear Professor Topher introducing Elizabeth to the doctor, the girl began to reach out to the table that the men stood at before missing it by inches and falling to the floor.

With Dr. Lecter already in mid motion of offering his hand to greet Elizabeth, he was soon holding her body weight to softly place her on her back. Even though he caught her as quickly as he could, her face had brushed his shoulder, reopening the wound on her nose that sent blood down his shoulder. She knew this because she saw the fresh red stain smudged on his lab coat and some of her beige lipstick.

Before she could apoligize and attempt to sit up, Professor Topher and Dr Lecter began examining her.

"What happened to you?", Dr. Lecter stated in an almost American accent. Even though she was breathing through her mouth as she tilted her head to not have her blood go down her nose, she could almost smell his cologne. Warm, inviting.

"Fell down the stairs," she replied but Professor Topher shook his head. He knew it was someone but he was not able to find out who.

"When did it happen?" Dr. Lecter continued as he shined a light into her eyes.

"Two… three… maybe four hours ago." While she followed the light with her eyes, she could not stop herself from looking into his eyes. Such a pretty color.

"Is this common?" he continued.

Elizabeth could not answer but continued to stare at his eyes.

"What is your blood type?" Professor Topher requested. While it was not in reference of finding blood for her, it was his way of knowing that his students were his students.

"AB negative." She stated clearly.

"When was the last time you ate?" he continued.

"… two…", another moment of hesitation as she thought hard.

"Two what?" the Professor stated as she could hear something ruffling out of vision.

"Two days ago?" she replied in a question still staring at the doctor.

Before she could apologize for the mess she was, Elizabeth Kerr checked out.

_Awesome first time meeting a well-established doctor Liz._


	2. Chapter 2

Elizabeth dreamed of classical music, the cool breeze of the Potomac against her face, and the smell of antiseptic. With all three clashing horribly in her mind, the young woman opened her eyes slowly to find herself staring of the ceiling of her work space. With the buzzing light shining softly into the darkness of her room, Elizabeth realized that the heart monitor beeping was not a patient but her own. Swallowing the small amount of saliva she could produce, Elizabeth attempted to sit up but only moved a millimeter before noticing her arms, legs, chest, and head were bound to the gurney.

Fear flooded her as she started to struggle at the binds. She did not the feeling of being confined in the manner, and started to twist her arms to loosen the straps on her wrist before she noticed a ruffled sound of papers at the opposite side of the room. Within the darkness, he spoke.

"Hold on Ms. Kerr".

Though she could not lift her head, she heard the figure slowly stand, placed his sheets of paper on a table before approaching her binded body. With a sudden click of the light switch behind her, Dr. Lecter's face looked down on Elizabeth with a soft smile.

"Nurse Rose was quite determined to keep you for at least eight hours, but I feel you have gone well over that requested time."

Elizabeth felt a rush of multiple emotions as her eyes widened in a mixture of embarrassment and horror. Not even capable of expressing what was coursing through her mind, the doctor began to remove the restraints from across her body.

As he leaned close, she could smell the cologne he had on during the seminar, but without the stained lab coat, she could only see the dark long sleeves over formed arms. Once all of the straps had been removed from her body, Dr. Lecter stood at the foot of her bed looking over a steel clipboard as Elizabeth sat slowly up to rub her wrists. It was then she noticed the IV in her arm. It was an irritating feeling as it moved as she accidentally ran her fingers over it but the heart monitor did not spike. The mans eyes flickered from the chart to the monitor before resting on the womans chart.

Not wanting to get caught at staring at the doctor, Elizabeth's eyes looked around the room. As she chewed her lip and looked at the room as a patient for the first time, she eyed the plastic pitcher of water with plastic wrapped cups on the movable table. Starting to shift a little to make sure she had With cracked lips and an irritated throat, she could see a pitcher of water and plastic wrapped cup on the movable table near the and went to get it herself before the doctor moved for her.

"Please, let me."

With her records sitting next to her side as the doctor went to pour her some water, she indistinctly picked up the clipboard and read the information.

_Elizabeth Wright Kerr - Age 28 - Blood AB N._  
_Dehydration - lack of nutrition - Signs of assault: bruises on eyes, arms, small fracture on bridge of nose..._

A frown fell upon the chart as the doctor returned to her bed side before removing the chart from her fingers and holding the cup of cool water and straw in front of her. Taking a few sips as the man leaned against her wheeled bed, Elizabeth looked to the doctor in wonder.

"Doctor Lecter… why are you here?" Elizabeth asked bluntly. Since she was an only child and her parents were decreased, the last time she was in this position, it was her

that stayed and signed her out. Realizing how blunt her question was she began to rush her words faster.

"I mean I am grateful for your presence, but since we have no relation, professional or personal, why are you here?"

The doctor smiled softly showing straight white teeth as he jotted a few notes in Elizabeth's chart before standing next to her side.

"Well, while Professor Topher was going to stay here and since I wanted to talk to you in general, I suggested that I stayed. Plus, I have oodles of time on my hands and Professor Topher had a class yesterday morning and evening."

Elizabeth felt her mouth slack a little. She had been out for over a day and half. It was the first time her heart monitor jumped but the man continued talking.

"Professor Topher has notified your other professors of your absence. You have not missed a single day since you have been here for almost eight years. Now… reason why I wanted to talk to you…"

Elizabeth looked to the man a little nervous at this attention but stayed silent as he spoke.

"Professor Topher recommended you out of all of his students. With your previous employment history, not the diners but with your late parents, you have what I am looking for in an assistant."

"An assistant?"

Once again Elizabeth was gifted with a smile.

"Yes. I am looking for an assistant to help me with my practice. The FBI have been asking for my assistance but sometimes, even a man like me need assistance."

Elizabeth sat silent holding her plastic cup. This was definitely not in her seen future but something itched at her.

"Why does my employment history come into this Dr. Lecter?"

Another smile, one that made her feel a little flush.

"Hannibal, please. Well, before I indulge you Ms. Kerr, why did you leave your previous employment?"

Elizabeth stared into her cup, watching her heartbeat pulse through the water before looking to the man with a soft smile.

"Elizabeth or Liz, please. I left my precious steady and successful employment because I… " she hesitated to take of sip of water.

"I was having trouble seeing the clients as clients I worked on… I kept seeing my parents on the tables. Every funeral was my parents. Within two weeks we had over 14 clients through. Some times two in a day… and all I saw was my parents. It was a mental tick I was having trouble getting rid of. I sometimes see it if I go volunteer in the morgue… but since I did well with helping so many that came to the business evolving around grief, I felt I needed to move on. Go past mortuary science and open arms to helping others with ticks… ticks like mine."

She watched the mans lip twitch, just once that was barely visible.

"Everyone has ticks Elizabeth. Some, more than others. But before I indulge you the proposition I have offered and why I think you would be a wonderful candidate, would you like to have dinner?"

Elizabeth was caught off guard but quickly looked to the man that smiled softly.

"I avoid the hospital and foul food at all cost and since I am in charge of your well being, I think it is time to get you some proper food. I shall go get you discharged and arrange your transportation to your home. I will pick you up in two hours. Gives you enough time to freshen up and dress."

Before she could utter a word, the man was striding away from her to put on a pea coat that was resting on the chair he was sitting on when she woke up. While she felt her mouth slacking she finally grabbed .

"Hannibal. Um, I… where and what will be an appropriate attire?"

Approaching the bed he took her hand into his. Deep maroon eyes looking into her as his lips curled into a smirk.

"Comfortable my dear. No need to get formal after what you have gone through. Don't fret on where. All will be pleasant."

While her mind did not register that Hannibal was holding her hand, as she watched him lift her hand and kiss the top with a soft squeeze.

"See you soon," as her hand was left levitating in the air and the man was turned and out the room, Elizabeth was left wondering…

_Does he know where I even live?_


End file.
